Safety vault lock



CANOTT ET AL 3 Oct. 18, 1927.

SAFETY VAULT LOCK Fil ed Oct. 15, 1926 6 2 2 B6 7 2 4 8/ r C 2 a 42 WWW:[M W m am D m M w 3 H L 4 8 4 m &

Z CM m H4 5 m M I M JR is a hook 8..

Between the forward portion. of the hook Sand the front/face of thelatch B is a transverse notch or slot'6. The front face of the blockofthe latch B forms a shoulder 5, which when the parts are installed andthe latch is extended forwardly from the pivot pin 28,.extendsdownwardly below the hook 3, :as clearly shown for instance in Figure 1.

In one sideof the latch B is formed a slot 10 extending from the lowerface of the latch block upwardly for a substantial dis tance and curvedon the are of a circle having its center at the center of the hole 2. a

.A- stop pin 29 is mounted in one wall of the housing A and projectsinto the slot 10 and serves to limit the downward, swinging movement ofthe latch by gravity.

The opposite side face of the latch B is cut away as at '7 to allow roomfor the trigger C between the latch block and the adjacent wall, of thehousing A.

Thetrigger G has generally the form of a triangle with its hypotenuseedge, however, having the form of a re-entrant angle.

The corners of the trigger are preferably rounded as shown. N ear thecorner 14., the trigger is provided with a transverse hole 17 to receivea pin .28, projecting from the side wall of the housing A, and thuspivotally supporting the trigger with its hypotenuse edge forward. SeeFigure i Projecting from the side face of the latch B near theshoulder 5are spaced pins 8 and 8 adapted to coope ate withv the trigger C.

In the hypotenuse edge ofthe trigger G is anotch 12, as shown. Securedto the top of the door is a keeper member D, projecting inwardly andhaving near its inner end spaced up-turned flanges 30 and 31.

The keeper member may be provided with a slot 33 as shown, and thekeeper member is fastened to the door by means of screws 34. The flange30 is inclined upwardly and toward the door as shown in Figure 3.

We will now describe the operation of our improved safety'vault lock andin making Such description will clear certain features of construction.

The stop pin 29 is so arranged that when the latch B swings downwardlyby gravity, its downward movement is limited to a position where thehook member 3 projects helow the housing A in about the positionillustrated in Figure 4. j

The trigger is so supported with relation to the latch that after thepin 8 clears the point 14, the trigger will drop to normal position, asshown for instance in Figure l or Figure l, whereupon the pin willengage the edge 13 of the triggi-u' C near the shoulder 1 1.

The pivot pin 28 will then be slightly be low the line extending betweenthe pin 28 and the pin 8.

The are of travel of the pin 8 will be different from the arc of travelof the corner 14 and the pin 8 will bind on the trigger C andconsequently the latch B will he held in its raised position, the partsthen being as shown in Figure 1. This is the position, which they shouldhave before the door E is closed for the night.

a The mechanism is then set so that when the door is moved to closedposition from its open position, the latch B will clear the flanges 30and 31 of the keeper.

As the door moves to closed position, the flange 31 engages the triggerC as shown in Figure 1, swinging it inwardly in the vault and swingingthe corner 14 i lownwardly, so that the latch B may drop until, itslower face engages the flange 30. the parts being so arranged that theflange 3O prevents the latch from dropping to its lower limit: ofmovement.

The corner 16 of the trigger clears the flange 31 and willjordinarilydrop toward the flange 30, and the parts assume the posi ti-ons. shownin Figure 9..

It will be understood. that there is some slight variation in thepositions of the parts depending upon the different installations; forinstance, the flanges ill) and 31 will in different installations be spared dili'ercnt distances inwardly from the door E.

Assuming then that the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2 withthe door closed, and that in the morning when the door of the vault:opened. the llungcs ill) and 31 sliding along the lower face of thelatch B will raise it and the llangc ill ongaging the trigger C willswing it forward ly or outwardly toward the door opening. until thecorner let clears the pin 8. whole upon the latch will drop slightly,and the pin 8 will drop into the notch and ongage the forward wallthereof, as shown in Figure 3.

The 'flflCtlOll of the parts will hold the latch B raised as shown insuch li rurc.

The arrangement and size of the parts is such that the corner in of thelri i' rcr projects downwardly below the housing A slightly, asillustrated in Figure The parts are then in position set to be actuated,if for example, a robber should force the employees of the bunk into thetil) vault and swing the door toward closed position, with the intentoflocking the employees in the vault. i

As the door moves toward closed position, the flange 31 engages thecorner 16 of the trigger C, swinging it downwardly and inward'ly inthevault until the pin 8 clears the wall of theslot 12, whereupon the latchB drops to its position shown in Figure 4 with the hook 3 overhangingthe outer face of the flange 31 and with the flange 3i received in theslot 6. a

The door is then in position almost closed as illustrated in. Figure 4.

The abutment of the flange 31 against the shoulder 5 will prevent anyfurther closing movement OftllGlClOOl and the hook 3 will preventopening the door. Those on the inside of the vault may readily releasethe hook 3 by raising the latch B, but this is impossible todo from theJutside without i a special tool. i

Anyonein the vault therefore :will be protected against sufiocation andagainst at tack in any ordinary way from the outside. After thedeparture of the robbers, the door may be opened, and the persons in thevault may release themselves.

The flange 30 when used serves two pur-.

poses. In the firstplace, itis possible when the door is locked innearly closed position as shown in Figure 4, toprevent the use ot' anystraight instrument or nearly straight inst-rumentt'or releasing thelock and this is an important function. It also serves the functionofprcventing the latch from drop ping to its lowermost position when thedoor is closed as illustrated in Figure 2. y In some installations, thisis not important. In some cases, however, the keeper D must be so iustalled that when iti s at its innermost limit of movement, as shown inFigure 2, it would hold the tri ger in such position that if the latchwere allowed to drop toits lower limit, the pin.8 would engage thecorner l gand the parts might accidentally become locked. Any suchaccidental locking is prevented when the flange 30. holds the latch upabove the lower limit of movement.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a safety vault lock of verysimple and reh atively inexpensive construction, whichcan be easily andconveniently set before a vault door is closed, so that when the door isclosed, the device will be in suchposition thatiipon opening the door,the parts will be automatically movedto what we may call their primaryset position. Thisis the p0 sition shown in Figure The position is suchthat when the door is swungltoward closing position, the device will beautomati= cally actuated for engaging and locking the door inpositionslightly open. One feature of our invention, which we considerimportant, is the fact that the parts are connected and actuated bygravity for moving to locking position, so that no springs are employed,and there is no danger of the device becoming inoperative because of thetailureof the springs. At the same time, itis to be noted that the pivotpoint of the latch is such that when the shoulder 5 drops so as toproject even slightly intothe path of the keeper on the closingdoor, theengagement of the flange 31 with the shoulder 5 will tend to force thelatchdownwardly to full locking position.

The latch is mounted at the top of the door jamb :tor suchgravityoperation, and this has another advantagein that it is almost entirely:out of sight and in a position where it is least likely to attract theattention of robbers.

liurtherniore, when the device is set for operation, the parts arealmost entirely housed within the member A, so thatit is diflicult toquickly secure an understanding of their structure and operation.

liy mounting the device above the door, itcan be fastened to a verysolid part of the jamb. i i i i It should perhaps be explained that whena safety vault lock of this kind is installed, the bankis furnished witha special tool, which will permit the releasing ot' the lock from theoutside. Such a tool would, of course, not beavailable to the robber.This tool can be used in case the door should be closed accidentallywhen no one was inside the vault. But iithere is a bankemployee insidethevault, he may push on the door and cause the latch to bind so that itcan not be opened with the tool from the outside. Fi e claim as ourinvention:

i l. A safety vault lock adapted tobe used with a vaiiltrloor and jamb,comprising a pivotally mounted-latch having a hook mem her at oneendwith a shoulder adjacent thereto and having near said shoulder spacedprojecting pins, a trigger pivotally supported at the side of said latchhaving a shoulder adapted when the trigger is in normal position tocoaot with one ofsaid pins for holdingthe latch raised, said triggerhaving a portion which when it is in such position projects into thepath of the flange of the keeper hereinafter mentioned and being provided with a notch adapted in another po sition of the trigger to coactwith the other pin for holding the latch raised and the trigger with aportion projected into the path of said keeper, combined with a keeperhavin 'a flan e for meetin with said tri t'fi D 3 ger and latch, wherebywhen the latch is supported on a jamb and the keeper on a door and thelatch is in its last-described position and the door ismoved towardclosed posi-' tion, the flange on the keeper will actuate the triggerfor releasing the latch for causing said hookto drop over said flangewith til the flange received in the notch in the latch. 2. A safetyvault lock adapted to be used with a vault door and jamb, including alatch adapted to be mounted on the jamb and'a keeper adapted to bemounted on the door and a trigger, said trigger and latch havingcoacting parts whereby they may be set in position with the latch raisedand a portion otthe trigger projecting into the path of the keeper, sothat when a door is swung toward closed posit-ion the keeper will engagethe trigger and release the latch and the latch will engage the keeperfor locking the door in nearly closed position.

3. In a safety vaultlock, a keeper and a latch mechanisnii adapted to bemounted on a door and door jamb respectively, said latch mechanismcomprising a pivoted latch member, means for limiting. the pivotal movement of the latch member, a pivoted trigger, said trigger and latchmember having c-oacting means whereby they may be set in position wherethetrigger is in the path of the keeper and adapted to be engaged by thekeeper when thedoor is swung toward closed position for releasing thelatch member, said latch member being adapted to then drop by gravityfor engaging the keeper for holding the door in slightly ajar position.

i. In a safety vault look, a keeper and a latch mechanism adapted to bemounted on a door and door jamb respectively, said latchmechanismcomprising a pivoted latch member means for limiting thepivotal movement of the latch member, a pivoted trigger, said triggerand latch member having coacting means whereby they may be set inposition'where' the trigger isvin path of the keeper and adapted to heengaged by the keeper when the door is swung toward closed position forreleasing the latch member, said latch member beingadapted to then dropby gravity for engaging the keeper for holding the door iii-slightlyajar position, said latch member and trigger having coacting parts,whereby they may be set to position for permitting the closing of thedoor without permitting the latch to engage the keeper.

In a safety vault lock, a keeper and a latch mechanism adapted tobemounted respectively on a door and door jamb, said keeperhavin a pair-ofspaced upwardly projectingfla nges, said latch mechanism having a latchmember pivoted to drop by gravity to keeper engaging position, means forlimiting the pivotal movement of the latch member,'a pivoted trigger,said trigger and latch member having parts adapted to coact for settingthem in position whereby the latch is held raised and a portion of thetrigger projects into the path of the keeper, whereby when the door ismoved toward closed position the trigger will be actuated for releasingthe latch member, said latch member having a slot which willtherenet-arse upon receive one of said flanges tor locking the door innearly closed position.

6. In a safety vault look, a keeper and aity to keeperengaging position,means for limiting the pivotal movement of; the latch member, a pivotedtrigger, said trigger and latch member having parts adapted to coact forsetting them in position whereby the latch is held raised and a porti onoi the trig ger projects into the path of the keeper, whereby. when thedoor is moved toward closed position, the trigger will be actuated. forreleasing the latch member, said latch member having a slot which willthereupon receive one of said flanges for locking the door in nearlyclosed position, the other of said flanges being then between the latchmechanism and the opening between the door and the jamb.

7. In a safety vault lock, a keeper and alatch mechanism adapted to bemounted on a door and door jamb respectively, said latch mechanismcomprising a pivoted latch member, means for lin'iiting the pivotalmovement of the latch member, a pivoted trigger. said trigger and latchmember having coacting means whereby they niay be set in position wherethe trigger is in path of the keeper and adapt-ed to be engaged by thekeeper when the door swung to ward closed position for releasing thelatch member, said latch member being adapted to then drop by gravityfor engaging the keeper for holding the door in slightly ajar position,the latch member having a keeper receiving slot, the walls of which. infull locking position are inclined "from vertical, said latch member andtrigger having coacting part-s, whereby they may be set to positionfol-permitting the closing of the door without permitting the latch toengage the keeper. i

8. In a safety vault lock, a keepcr and a latch mechanism adapted to bemounted on a door and door jamb respectively, said latch mechanismcomprising a pivoted latch member, means for limiting the pivotalmovement of the latch member, a pivoted trigger, said trigger and latchmember having coacting means whereby they may be set in position wherethe trigger is in path of the keeper and adapted to be engaged by thekeeper when the door isswung toward closed position for releasing thelatch men ber, said latch member being adapted to then drop by gravityfor engaging the keepor for holding the door in slightly ajar position,the latch member having a keeper receiving slot, the walls of which in:tull

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locking position are inclined from vertical, one of said Walls forming ashoulder, said latch member being so pivoted that when the shoulderprojects into the path of the keeper to any degree the contact of thekeeper with the shoulder tends to force the latch to full lockingposition, said latch member and trigger having coacting parts, wherebythey may be set to position for permitting the closing of the doorwithout permitting the latch to engage the keeper.

9. In a safety vault lock structure adapted to be used in connectionwith a Vault door element and j amb element, the combination of a keeperadapted to be mounted on one of said elements with a movable latchmemher adapted when in operative position and when the door is movedtoward closed position to engage with the keeper for locking the dooragainst further closing and against opening movement, a membercooperating with said latch for holding it inoperative, said membersbeing so arranged that when the second member is set to hold the latchmember in operative position and the door is opened, the keeper willengage one of said members for rendering the second member inoperativeand for permitting the catch member to move to operative position.

Des Moines, Iowa, September 24, 1926. MOODY L. CANOTT. JOSEPH E. HALL.

